The hot future jobs for the next five years with above average wages and the highest growth rate range from theatrical make-up artist to forensic scientist to financial advisors. Although the gross number of some of these occupations (think: make-up artist) are fairly small, the growth rates for any of the aforementioned occupations is not. What remains most promising is the expectation of job growth despite the recent economic shocks and what is shaping up to be one of the most challenging economic outlooks in decades.
Hot Future Jobs Expected in Technology and Health Care
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released their 2008-09 Occupational Outlook which showed some surprising growth rates in the service sector. There were of course the usual suspects in terms of job expansion, such as technology and finance but some of the other quickly expanding jobs were further out of the mainstream. Of the top ten quickest expanding occupations, none is projected to grow at less than 30% over the study period (2006-2016).
From the BLS 2008-09 Occupational Outlook (results culled from Table I-5):
- Network Systems and Data Communications Analysts – Growth expected to top 50% over the projected period
- Computer Software Applications Engineers – Anticipated growth rate more than 40%
- Personal Financial Advisors – Upwards of 40%
- Make-Up Artists – Theatrical
- Veterinarians – 35% (22,000 net employment gain)
- Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselors
- Financial Analysts – 34% I can’t rightly say whether this study was completed prior to the market collapse
- Physical Therapist Assistants – 33% A growing area of the service economy
- Forensic Science Technicians – 30% Perhaps inspired by the wave of criminal forensic television shows
- Dental Hygienist – 30% A traditional growth occupation
Still Hope for Job Growth Despite Challenges
These represent the hot future jobs as culled from the BLS Occupational Outlook for 2008-09. While it remains to be seen whether all of the projected hot future jobs come to fruition there still are expanding employment sectors anticipated over a broad range of industries. Noticeably absent from the hot future jobs list however are jobs requiring less than at least some post secondary education – only a few above average wage positions in the construction field appeared in the BLS projection.
References: Information for this piece was compiled from data provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Bureau of Labor Statistics. Occupational Outlook Handbook (2008-09). Table I-5: Above-average growth and above-average wage occupations, by educational attainment cluster and wages, 2006 and projected 2016. From: Bureau of Labor Statistics web site: bls.gov/emp/optd/